Research projects

The PFAS Health Study: A planning meeting was held on 26 November to discuss the upcoming study components. Martyn, Katherine, Cathy, Jochen Mueller (a UQ consultant) and Sue were in Williamtown on 26 and 27 November for community consultations. Katherine, Cathy and Sue will be holding community consultations in Oakey on 6 December. The ANU HREC have given approval for the Cross-sectional Survey and Blood Serum Study.

The Relief in MS Study: We are currently working on the amendments to the original ethics approval. The study will move to MCRI in 2019.

Epigenetics of MS in the Ausimmune Case control Study: Samples have been sent to Newcastle for DNA extraction. New work to recontact Ausimmune participants will be underway in 2019, seeking consent for retention of blood samples beyond the 15 years originally consented.

Rachael Rodney Harris is working on a project in Madison, Wisconsin related to vitamin D physiology.

Papers accepted/published:

1. Lingham G, Yazar S, Lucas RM, Walsh JP, Zhu K, Hunter M, Lim EM, Cooke BR, Mackey DA. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is not associated with refractive error in middle-aged and older Western Australian adults. Translational Vision Science and Techonology (accepted 16 Nov 2018)

Conference presentations:

Lucas RM. What’s new in the (extended) epidemiology of MS in Australia? Symposium of WA Neuroscience (SWAN), Perth, Western Australia, 29-30 Nov 2018

Lucas RM. Planetary Health: a driver of the UN strategy for enhancing environmental safety, sustainability, and development. 4^th Australia-Spain Research Forum – Earth. 16 Nov 2018, Canberra, Australia.

Outreach

Robyn Lucas attended the Stop and Reverse MS Assembly, an invitation-only meeting of 70 attendees to plan the strategy to stop and reverse MS within the next 10 years. The 2-day meeting discussed research priorities and how to achieve the funding needed to support that research.

Rachael Rodney Harris and Ellie Paige spoke at Melrose High School about careers in Epidemiology

Grant success

MS Research Australia Incubator Grant “Development of a Toolkit for Collaborative MS Research” CIs: Jane Desborough, Christine Phillips, Katrina Chisholm, Robyn Lucas

Rachael Rodney Harris has been awarded a Vice-Chancellors Teaching Enhancement Grant for an app to assist with learning in Fundamentals of Epidemiology.